


Flying Low

by MadAcres



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Bisexual Male Character, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Casual Sex, Fluff and Angst, Gay Male Character, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, One-Sided Attraction, Pining, References to Depression, Secret Relationship, Soul-Searching, Top Link
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:28:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24432832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadAcres/pseuds/MadAcres
Summary: Link misses Revali, and copes with a relationship with a new friend, another Rito of this era.Kass is trapped in an arranged marriage, and desperate to find others of his ilk.
Relationships: Kass & Link (Legend of Zelda), Kass/Link (Legend of Zelda), Link/Revali (Past)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 60





	1. toss me the rope

**Author's Note:**

> why am I making this? I don't know. I'm stuck indoors.

Link's grip slipped once again from the warm mountain rock, wet with rain. The leather climbing gloves and tunic did nothing for him when he scaled in the rain, despite making him climb faster than a paranoid mountain goat. Alas, any priceless treasure he found was useless against the elements.

He clung to the cliff with all his might, stamina dwindling, and breath exiting his throat in one hoarse blow. His hood caught most of the rain, but some still leaked down through the cloth gutters atop, and since he was facing upwards, the water got in his eyes.

In lieu of anything good happening, Link still took time to appreciate Faron in all of its humid quirks. Genuinely.

Link's concentration on not dying was interrupted by a voice not too far above him.

"Hello? You there! Do you require assistance?"

The hero looked up to see the head of a Rito, a blue one, reminding him of a tropical parrot. 

"No thank you," he replied bluntly, side stepping across the ledge he was on, as to avoid the stranger. He had been avoiding any unnecessary social contact for a while now.

"Are you quite sure? I have a rather strong looking vine up here!"

Link Grimaced. "Yes! I'm sure!" Link yelled back loudly but rudely. Hylia above seemed to look down upon his rudeness, as lightning stuck the conductive rocks mere feet from his person the moment after.

"Ok! Toss me the rope!" Link yelled, putting pride aside in exchange for not getting struck by lightning. A moment later, and the large vine thumped next to his head. He began to climb up, the Rito on the other end assisting by pulling the boy up.

Link slumped unto the top of the cliff, still dangerously close to the edge. He cared little, as the soft grass felt like a luxurious bed. The weary climber ignored the talons by his head for the moment, wishing to have some temporary peace and quiet to sooth his sore muscles.

"Hello there!"

_Oh come on..._

"I'm Kass, a traveler such as yourself. And you are?" The enthusiasm in the bird's voice irritated the exhausted hero. Nevertheless, the hero stood with a shaky knee to get to his feet. 

"Too tired to converse at the moment." Link spat, rather apathetically, as he readjusted his gear and continued on his way. 

"Oh... I see." Kass's previously raised head feather sunk in disappointment. 

Link wasn't 30 feet away when he heard a beautiful melody. It was unique, soothing, and stimulating to his head in all the right ways. He turned back around to see the Rito's back, swaying as he played the instrument.

"What is that?" Link asked. Kass turned in surprise, thinking the stranger had already left.

"Oh, this? It's my accordion. I travel everywhere with it, playing songs of old and the like."

"Can you continue?" Link asked once more, following the question with the clank of his gear hitting the ground as he rested against a nearby rock.

"Oh... um, yes, of course!" Kass answered, a little nervous now that he had an audience.

And he did continue, trying to play as if no one were there to avoid shameful slip ups. Link closed his eyes and swayed lightly to the tune.

* * *

"Hello? Hello? Stranger?"

Link's eyes slowly raised, breaking the crust that formed in the corners of his eyes. He was greeted by a Rito far too close for comfort. "Ah!" the hero yelled in surprise.

"Sorry! You fell asleep while I was playing and it didn't feel right leaving you here."

Link gave a "hmm" as a mix of agreement and thanks. "Sorry to inconvenience you," Link apologized, he dug through his pack, and handed a purple rupee to Kass, "thank you for playing."

Kass immediately gave it back.

"Oh no, I couldn't take your money."

Link raised an eyebrow, so Kass elaborated.

"I don't perform as a business, I do it as a vocation, if you will."

While he had no musical talent to speak of, the Hero completely understood.

"Well.. thank you nonetheless," Link said, more timidly as he sympathized more with the musician.

"No problem!" Kass said, as he turned, about to make his leave.

The wind began to form around the Rito's flapping wings for takeoff before Link stopped him. "Wait."

"Hm?"

"I am about to have supper, you are welcome to join me. It's the least I can do."

Kass suspended his takeoff.

* * *

The two sat beside one another, using a flat rock as a bench. The campfire worked as both an impromptu stove and heater, smoke pushing the humid air away in favor of a more comfortable warmth. Link was greatly, soaked in sweat from humidity.

"Sorry for being an asshole earlier," Link broke with in the silence, after biting into his bread.

"Oh! Don't worry, you weren't being one!" Kass defended, caught off guard.

"Bullshit. I was _totally_ being an ass. Come on," Link offered with a look. Kass took the offer.

"Ok, ok. Maybe a little bit," he laughed, as did the hero.

The silence returned after calling Link an asshole. Still, warmth served to make it more bearable.

"So... you're from Rito village?" Link asked.

"Yes, yes... have you been?"

_more times than you'll ever know,_ Link thought.

"Yeah, once or twice... have any family back there?"

"Ah, yes, a wife and five beautiful daughters."

Link whistled in a mix of admiration and pity for the Father of five. He couldn't believe himself to look after one kid. "You're a bit young to be married, eh?"

The smile left Kass's beak. "Yes, well, it was arranged when we were teens."

"Oh, sorry." is what automatically left Link's mouth, followed by immediate regret. 

Kass immediately turned to Link at the apology. Link knew he had fucked up, knowing how offensive that might've been.

While his beak seemed to spell upset feeling, Kass's eyes surely did not. To Link, it appeared to be more relief in finding someone who agreed that it was indeed a sorry thing. Kass caught himself staring and returned his gaze back to the fire.

"I used to live in Rito village," Link admitted, proudly embracing his previous lie. Kass's interest was peaked. ",with my late husband." Link finished the bomb, smiling at Kass's now wide eyed awe.

"Yeah... it was-" Link's elaborations were interrupted by the musician jumping into him, knocking him off the rock. He was left laying on his back, straddled by the far larger bird, now furiously preening Link's hair, which was the Rito equivalent of kissing.

Instinct and frustration overtook Link as well, as he began to "preen" back. He would piece together why this was happening later.

* * *

Link's eyes un-crusted once more as he shot them open what felt like days later. Based on the birds chirping and how bright it was now, he guessed it was morning. Embarrassingly, the second thing he noticed was the giant Rito he was spooning, torso cozily absorbed into his feathers, arms clasped around the waist. Link held Kass's tail feathers between his thighs. He felt Kass stir.

Even more embarrassingly, the last thing he noticed was that he was naked. Both of them were.

With that final realization, Link leapt from the soft grass he was cuddling in and launched for his bag to cover himself. He was in the middle of hurriedly putting pants on when he heard a familiar voice.

"Mornin' sleepyhead." Kass smiled, looking up at Link from the grass. He was laying in such a way that proved he wasn't ashamed of his nudity. Link blushed furiously as he pulled up his pants as fast as humanly possible.

"Did, uh... did we, you know?"

"Mhm," Kass answered proudly, getting up and resting his chest against Link's, running his feathered hand down Link's torso. "By the way, you're a lot bigger than I was expecting."

"Ok! That's enough!" Link declared, leaving the vicinity and clothing the rest of himself in front of his bag.

"What?" Kass asked, concerned and confused.

"You're married! With kids! And I haven't..." Link huffed, "done anything since my partner passed. This isn't right!"

"But it felt right!" Kass countered, running up beside Link once more, trying to regain contact.

"I'm sure it did, but I should end this before we both end up regretting it," the hero determined, now fully clothed.

"Please," the musician pleaded. Link saw the desperation in his eyes, and he could tell from context clues that this was a gay bachelor stuck in a marriage he wanted no part of anymore. "It's been so long since I've found someone like me..."

"I... understand. Trust me, I do, but you have _kids._ " Link sighed, putting the rest of his gear onto his person.

"And I love them to death," Kass argued, "but why do you think I spend all my time traveling? I'm not happy where I am."

Link sighed at the apathetic thing he was about to do.

"No one is, Kass."

And with that, Link jumped off the cliff and began to paraglide across the jungle. Kass watched him go, naked and tearful.


	2. Target Practice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link finally arrives in Lurelin village, as requested by the mayor, there to solve a sheep rustling issue.
> 
> But the culprits are not as suspected.

_I'm starting to feel as though sweat is just something permanently affixed to my body_

Link thought, swatting his tenth mosquito.

_Mosquitos too. I'm like a goddamn magnet._

The past eleven day journey he had begun was over, he had arrived at the small fishing village. Lurelin's mayor had sent a letter to his personal address in Hateno, unsure of who else to turn to. Mercenaries for hire didn't much go for detective work as much as protection jobs. Any staff of Hyrule Castle were busy rebuilding after Ganon and the princess's return.

Why Link accepted the plea, he didn't know. Charity? Boredom? Recognition? Maybe all three. Analyzing himself made his head hurt too much. Link would've forgot the whole thing by the third day in the jungle, where horses are useless and diseases are aplenty, but he was prideful. Once Link started something, he was going to finish it. Likely, half-assed.

_I'm guessing the eldest one here has a good chance of being the mayor_

Link scanned the area, seeing fishermen go about their living and kids play in the sand. A tan, wrinkled man sat in the shade, observing the village just as Link was. However, the elder had yet to notice Link, so he cleared his throat to make his presence known.

"Oh, my! Who's- Oh! Oh, my goodness! You actually came!" cried the presumed mayor.

"Yep."

"Thank Hylia! I can't thank you enough! If there's-"

Link raised his hand as to get to the chase as soon as possible. He would've been more respectful, but his patience had worn thin in his travels. And, from... other events.

"What's the problem?"

"Well, you see, a sizable chunk of our cattle have gone missing. Three, in fact. As this is a fishing town, cattle is rare and very valuable, so rustlers getting the rest of our flock just won't do!" the mayor ranted, out of concern for his village and people. Link felt his frustration.

"I see. What makes you so sure it's rustlers? Wolves are more likely."

"Usually, I would agree," the mayor conceded, offering the hero a seat next to him as well as a drink, which Link accepted. "-but there would be signs of an attack, and no blood has been found anywhere. I'm sure bokoblins are to blame."

"Bokoblins?"

"I know what you're thinking... I know they're a rare find ever since you-know-who, but-"

"Ganon."

The mayor winced at the name.

"Er-yes, since Ganon... but it must be the case!"

"Are you sure it wasn't another villager? A rival maybe?"

"No... no... we are a close knit community, hurting one another's business is the same as hurting your own."

"I see," Link sat up from his sweetly shaded seat, "I'll start an investigation in the morning, talk to your shepherd. In the meantime, do you know a good spot to camp?"

"Camp?" the mayor guffawed, "Nonsense! It would be rude not to host our savior!"

"I'm not really a sav-"

"I'll talk with the innkeeper! A nice bed, no charge!"

"That's very kind of you, mayor."

"It's the least we can do. And thank you again."

"No problem."

* * *

Link swung back and forth in the padded hammock of the inn's suite, trying to rock himself to sleep like his own Mother. The nautical decorations adorning the ceiling were seen as a poor excuse for a crib's mobile.

The moonlight poked through the straw shades, piercing his sight every time he swung starboard. 

He was thinking of the Rito. Not his late partner, who he had grieved and moved on from. The only thoughts of Revali he still had were of sweet reminiscing and anniversaries. He held no more pain from that, just an occasional ache in his chest.

What feeling harbored in his gut now, was guilt.

_I was harsh on the poor man._

_Much, much too harsh._

_I don't regret it though, I feel I was right. Maybe that's just my pride talking._

_The face he gave me after, though, I can't shake it._

He fell asleep thinking about the musician.

* * *

Lurelin's shepherd was doing his third headcount of the morning, paranoia surmounting each minute his eyes weren't on his cattle.

"One... two... three... no, wait... ok... one-"

"Excuse me."

The shepherd dropped his scroll and pen, startled by the foreign voice.

"May I help you?" the shepherd inquired, suspicious of the visitor.

"Yeah. I was hired by the mayor to look into this missing cattle case, thinks there's rustlers."

"You're here to find my sheep?"

"That's right."

"Oh, thank Hylia! Please, come in." the shepherd offered as he opened the gates to his sandy ranch.

Link sat in the hut overlooking the beach and cattle, across from the shepherd who... looked worse for wear.

"I- I haven't slept in days. I can't stand to be away from my cattle ever since the few disappeared."

"I'm sorry. Mind telling me what happened the day of?" Link inquired, slyly petting the cattle dog underneath the table, who was glad to receive the touch.

"It was my fault. I got careless ever since you-know-who and his evil beasts disappeared."

The blond Hylian didn't bother correcting this time.

"I was allowing my flock to graze a new spot, around the cape from here, when it happened. It was so damn hot out, I just decided to lie in shade a bit. I guess I fell asleep, only to awake to the sheep barreling towards me. Whatever it was, it spooked 'em good. Me too for that matter! I've never seen 'em so scared, even with the odd Bokoblin encounter. I ran like the wind with them, cowardly..."

"Nothing cowardly about that. Your instincts kicked in," Link reassured.

"Thank you... I- I ran back to the village with the flock, and when I did a headcount, I was three down. I just don't know..."

"That's alright. I'll try and find out what happened. But I should let you know... if this was bokoblins, then there's a good chance your sheep aren't coming back anyway."

_I always hate to be the bearer of bad news._

"I've already accepted that," the shepherd admitted, "I just can't let this happen again, I want whatever or whoever did this dead."

Link was caught off guard by the sudden brutality of the shepherd, _guess he really does care for his sheep._

"I can oblige," Link said, standing up to shake the man's hand.

* * *

_The day is beautiful but scorching,_ thought Kass, regretting his decision to practice on a lone coral reef. _No shade..._

But in the midst of a song, the musician never interrupted. For anything. The song was a two parter, and as the first ended he began to naturally start the second, but stopped. He recognized it as the same song he had played for the traveler the other day.

The memories of nostalgia previously attached to the song were now replaced with cringe and rejection. He lamented.

"I know the traveler was only looking out for my best interest, but why do I feel so rejected?"

Kass had switched to a more solemn tune on his accordion without even noticing.

"Why had I forced myself upon him? Why had he reciprocated at first only to turn around the next day? Oh, how cruel life is."

Just as much as he mourned the other day, he was angry about how much it stuck with him. That traveler's stupid face.

Eventually the Rito was fed up with the spot's lack of cooperation, and packed his instrument before taking off for a new spot. One with shade.

* * *

"Across the beach, west of the pier, and just around the cape..." Link repeated to himself. The directions given to him by the shepherd were straightforward enough, but the Hero fo Hyrule still managed to be confused by them. Perhaps the shepherd hadn't accounted for just how directionally challenged Link truly is.

The spot seemed close enough, and Link slowed his trot to scan the scene of the crime.

_Just as the mayor said, no blood..._

But what intrigued, or more accurately puzzled Link the most, was

_No tracks either... it's like the sheep just up and vanished. Maybe a dragon grabbed 'em from the sky._

Link looked up just in case. The sand around his feet was hot, not unusual. What was unusual was black, filed sand surrounding minute tufts of wool.

_What the shit? This shows signs of burns. Did the shepherd camp here? But why three individual ones in different spots in the sand? This doesn't make sense, the sheep were here alright. But they look like they were... obliterated!_

Dread began to pool in Link's stomach, and his fight or flight instincts sprung to life. He knew that he should've checked his surroundings better.

_The only thing that can do that to a living creature is..._

Link spun around to see a bright red, eye, staring down at him.

_... a guardian._

He jumped to the side before a laser could do to him what it had done to the sheep. The hero began to sprint to cover, finding a large beach rock to do the trick. 

_How come I didn't hear that thing charge up?! Maybe it's circuits are broken... goddamn those things are stealthy when quiet. Or I'm getting soft..._

Link's self doubt was interrupted another laser pounding the rock he was behind. Again, and again.

_I got to get going soon, this rock won't hold forever._

Link cautiously unsheated his falcon bow and bomb arrows, careful not to drop the highly sensitive explosives. His strategy was already planned out.

In the blink of an eye, the hero tossed a rock away from him, as to catch the robot's attention so he could line up a shot directly to its eye. However fate had other plans... 

Link dove out of cover, bow drawn, expecting to see a guardian facing towards the rock he threw, but what he saw shocked him more... the mechanical menace was facing the sky. He quickly turned to see what it was looking at. It was a bird. No, a Rito. A very familiar one.

_Holy shit..._

Link's instincts took over, dropping his bow and arrow in panic. He began to run towards the figure in the sky, shouting to the one completely unaware of the danger he was in. Flying in a straight line, in sight of a guardian? He was essentially target practice.

"Hey! Hey!" Link begged his voice to carry. It didn't. He heard the machine whir, preparing to fire.

"Look out! Look out! KASS!"

With that, the Rito turned in confusion to the Hylian on the beach mid flight, then to the guardian.

Kass's eyes went wide, and just as he began to dive down, the guardian fired. Its laser flew at light speed, hitting the Rito. From Link's perspective, it looked like a ragdoll was falling from the sky before tumbling into the nearby jungle.

"NO!" Link screamed, voice more emotional than he wouldve expected.

The hero began to tear through the sand in record speed, towards the bird's crash site, forgetting about the mechanical beast that laid before him.

He was hoping, praying, Kass was alive.

**Author's Note:**

> this might be a one shot but the end was pretty angsty so I might continue for a happy ending. Who knows.


End file.
